Chapter 4

Audrey's POV

After signing, I collapsed onto the sofa. The dull ache in my stomach returned, but I was too tired to reach for the pills. Compared to the pain in my heart, this physical discomfort was nothing.

Julian didn't come home for three days, probably enjoying his little world with Chloe. Good. That gave me quiet time to pack my things.

There wasn't much that truly belonged to me in this villa. Aside from a few clothes, it was just my art supplies and paintings in the small studio on the second floor. That studio was my sanctuary, my only forbidden zone. I never let Julian in. Because inside, it held all my love and all my deepest vulnerabilities.

I was packing my art supplies when an unfamiliar number called. I hesitated but answered.

"Audrey, it's me, Chloe."

On the other end, Chloe's voice was sweet and delicate, laced with a carefully crafted fragility. My hand tightened around the phone. I stayed silent.

"Audrey, please don't misunderstand. I don't mean anything by it."

"I just wanted to meet you in person. There are some things I think we should clarify face-to-face."

"I'm busy." I refused her outright.

"Audrey, I know you're still angry with Julian."

"But matters of the heart truly can't be forced."

"Julian's heart has always belonged to me. I'm truly sorry for your wasted three years."

Her voice sounded full of apology, but I could picture the triumphant smile on her face.

"Just one meeting, okay? Downtown café. I'll be there." She hung up before I could speak.

I didn't want to go. But it was time to end this. I changed and took a cab to the café.

Chloe was already there, wearing a white dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She looked pure and innocent, the picture of delicate vulnerability. No wonder Julian was so obsessed with her.

She saw me and immediately stood up, offering a sweet smile. "Audrey, you came."

I ignored her familiarity, sitting across from her. "What do you want? Just say it."

Chloe stirred her coffee, head bowed, an expression of hesitation on her face. "Audrey, I know you've sacrificed a lot for Julian."

"But Julian recently mentioned to me that your spending has been very high, and he's a bit worried..."

Just a while ago, one of Sterling Corp.'s subsidiaries hit a major financial crisis. It was I who, anonymously, injected the last of my mother's inheritance into the company, helping him through the tough spot. That was fifty million dollars.

I hadn't told anyone about it.

"Julian said he knows you hold resentment, but he thinks it's low for a wife to resort to this."

"He's worried you might be siphoning off assets, so he's temporarily frozen your bank cards."

Chloe looked up, eyes wide with feigned concern.

I felt a wave of nausea. So, he not only thought I was cheating but also stealing his money. That's why he'd frozen my cards. How utterly pathetic. I used my own money to save his company, and he thought I was robbing him.

What a joke. I forced a cynical smile. "Are you finished?"

Chloe was momentarily stunned by my reaction, then quickly reverted to her fragile demeanor. "I'm not here to accuse you."

"I just hope we can part ways amicably. Julian... he truly loves me."

As she spoke, she lifted her hand and casually brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. A massive pink diamond ring on her slender finger sparkled, an obnoxious flash.

"Julian gave this to me yesterday. He said he designed it himself. He called it 'My Only One.'"

"He said, I'm his only one."

She looked at me, her smile full of blissful pride and blatant showing off.

I recognized that ring.

It was from my design sketch. A year ago, I spent an entire month designing it, naming it "Audrey's Embrace," a silent plea for a love I thought was finally mine. I'd left the design in his study, hoping to surprise him.

But he hadn't even glanced at it, tossing it straight into the trash.

He'd said, "Audrey, keep your trash away from me. Don't soil my sight."

Turns out, he didn't dislike it; he just disliked it because it came from me.

He had picked up my discarded design, had it made into a ring, and given it to his only one.

And I was the pathetic joke.

A sudden, violent spasm tore through my stomach, more intense than any before. I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to make a sound. I wouldn't show any weakness in front of this woman.

Chloe watched my agony, a flicker of triumph, cold and sharp, darted in her eyes, but her voice was laced with false concern: "What's wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling unwell?"

Julian had seen me like this before. When my stomach pains flared, he'd just watched coldly, calling it a cheap trick to gain sympathy.

They truly were a match made in hell.

I took a deep breath, looked up at her, and said, "Chloe, don't touch what isn't yours."

Then, I looked at the ring on her hand and smiled. "And by the way, that ring is called 'Audrey's Embrace,' not 'My Only One.'"

"I wish you both eternal happiness."

I stood up, no longer looking at her stunned face, and walked away.

The moment I stepped out of the café, I could no longer hold myself upright, leaning against the wall, coughing violently.

I slowly opened my palm. Blood. Dark and coppery.